Château d'If

The famous island fort facing Marseille immortalised by Alexander Dumas in The Count of Monte Cristo.

This famous fortress, standing on a rocky island off the coast of Marseille, was immortalised by Alexandre Dumas in The Count of Monte Cristo as the prison where the novel’s hero, Edmond Dantès, was incarcerated before ultimately escaping. The castle was built by François I in 1524 and over the centuries it gained a fearsome reputation as many opponents of royal power were jailed and died in the fortress. The Castle of If has been perfectly preserved and is one of the most impressive historical sites on the Mediterranean coastline.